The present invention is a direct attempt to improve the operational functionality of previously designed horizontal, form, fill and seal packaging machines. More specifically, to improve the design, and functionality of a cross-cut station used on the packaging machines.
The cross-cut station is typically one of the last operational stations on a packaging machine. It is frequently preceded by various other functional stations, including but not limited to packaging film feeding station, package forming station, product fill station, and package perforating station.
The primary purpose of the cross-cut station is to generate long cross-cuts, designed to separate a long strip of the pre-packaged film (film containing several packages of product separated by perforations) away from the rest of the packaging film, being fed by the conveying chain.
These cross-cuts must be performed in predetermined locations, and they require a relatively high level of precision and redundancy. However, due to the vibrations generated by machine's operations, the blades responsible for making the cuts in the packaging film, are progressively moved away from the desired locations of the cross-cuts.
This progressive movement of the cross-cut station can be, at least in part, attributed to the rack and pinion system incorporated in the design of the existing cross-cut station. The rack and pinion is embedded inside the cutting blocks, designed to prevent the movement of the film being cut by the blades extending from below.
The other reason for the movement of the cross-cut station can be attributed to an unreliable locking nut, also incorporated into the cross-cut design. As the name implies, the locking nut has been designed to lock the cross-cut station in place, and by doing so prevent its movement. However, after a prolonged exposure to the vibrating frame of the machine, the lock nut frequently loses its grip, allowing the cross-cut station to move in an unpredicted direction.
The present invention eliminates this problem by incorporating a retrofittable device, called the cross-cut stabilizer. The cross-cut stabilizer incorporates a mounting base, which holds pushing combs and manual clamps. The clamps, having manually-adjustable knobs, clamp onto the mounting block and the machine's rack and pinion system, or any other immovable component of the machine. This clamping action acts as a break. The stabilizer is mounted in-between the cross-cut station's cutting blocks, allowing the pushing combs to straddle these cutting blocks.
Once installed, the pushing combs enable simultaneous, manual adjustment of both the cross-cut station (holding the blades) with the cross-cut stabilizer. By manually adjusting the clamps, the pushing combs urge down on the cutting blocks of the cross-cut station, thereby eliminating any movement of the cross-cut station and the attached thereto blades.